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2021 Kia Seltos

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
70 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical2
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA365
Crash ratingNHTSA overall4★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA31 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021

The 2021 Kia Seltos is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Seltos FWD, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 365 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Seltos FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl293431$2,000
Seltos AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl273129$2,150
Seltos AWDGasAWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42428, 42430, 42429.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Kia Seltos is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Engine And Engine Cooling

SC336
137,256 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.RiskEngine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.FixDealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
NHTSA campaign 25V099000reported Feb 17, 2025Kia America, Inc.
!critical

Engine

SC209
147,249 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.RiskA damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
NHTSA campaign 21V259000reported Apr 13, 2021Kia Motors America

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical — Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness closed

On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a ‘cold’ engine to a ‘warm’ en

Opened Aug 6, 2025 · closed Dec 18, 2025 · action AQ25001

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
365complaints filed

13 involved a crash · 6 a fire · 8 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2020: 18 · 2021: 33 · 2022: 39 · 2023: 38 · 2024: 27 · 2025: 120 · 2026: 90

Most-cited components

Engine221
Power Train67
Unspecified46
Electrical System46
Engine And Engine Cooling43
Fuel/Propulsion System24

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2021 Kia Altos. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic several times, he was informed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact also stated that the vehicle was making abnormal rattling sounds while driving. There were no warning…”Jan 6, 2022 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“Safety System Failure. MY CAR WAS STOLEN TODAY. Even with a Club on the steering wheel. it was gone in minutes. Why do thieves look for Kia's? Because they know they can steal them fast. Shame on you for not putting better practices in place to help prevent this, or deter them at least or slow down the process at minim…”Jan 4, 2022 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“Im on my 2nd kia and im so over it. I have a 2021 kia seltos and i took it in for the recall and my scheduled maintenance for july 9th 2021, I scheduled my app a week out and i had been noticing my engine running strange off and on for awhile but its a new car so i thought i was being paranoid until i saw the recall. T…”Dec 30, 2021 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Seltos model years

A

2027 Kia Seltos

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Kia Seltos

0 recalls · 4 complaints

A

2025 Kia Seltos

0 recalls · 12 complaints

C

2024 Kia Seltos

2 recalls · 43 complaints

C

2023 Kia Seltos

2 recalls · 46 complaints

B

2022 Kia Seltos

1 recalls · 72 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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